Raw Peach Chia Jam

What to do when you get 15 peaches from your farm share and your husband HATES peaches? You make peach chia jam, of course!

I have to say, this came out surprisingly good! Regular jam is loaded with sugar and typically has gelatin. This jam has just 2 simple ingredients- peaches and chia seeds. It's pure, healthy and delicious. 

If you like your jam sweet you could probably add a touch of honey or maple syrup. I prefer a little tartness to my jam so this was perfect for me.

Try spreading this on toast, crackers, mixing it in yogurt or in oatmeal. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how delicious it is! 

Peaches are packed with antioxidants which are known to prevent against many types of cancer. Peaches contain Vitamin A which is known to promote eye and skin health, and Vitamin C which can help ward off illness and strengthen the immune system. Eating a peach may also aid with weight loss as it's a very low calorie fruit and contains a good amount of fiber to keep you feeling full and satisfied.

Ingredients:

3 peaches- sliced

1/8 cup chia seeds

Directions:

1) Add peach slices and chia seeds to a food processor and blend until smooth.

2) Add mixture to a container and allow it to set in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.

*Recipe makes a decent amount of jam that will probably only last for a couple of days in the fridge. I would recommend freezing some if and defrosting whenever you want a healthy and sweet treat. :)

Shrimp Piccata with "Zoodles"

I am completely obsessed with my new spiralizer. You can make use it to spiralize SO many things: zucchini, squash, cucumber, beets, carrots, apples, sweet potatoes... to name a few. 

At first I was skeptical when I kept seeing recipes with "zoodles." I absolutely LOVE pasta and the thought of a zucchini acting like a noodle just seemed outrageous. Even though the zucchini does not taste at all like pasta, it really it delicious when spiralized. What makes it such a great vegetable to use is that it really holds its shape well. The sauce also clings to each "zoodle" perfectly. 

I found these beautiful shrimp at the grocery store and knew I had to make shrimp piccata. It's such an easy dish to prepare and only requires a handful of ingredients. The best part about this dish is the easy lemon caper sauce that gets drizzled over the entire thing. Yum yum.

Zucchini provides high doses of Vitamin C which help to protect the immune system and ward off illness. Zucchini contains potassium which promotes good heart health and helps keep blood pressure stable. Lastly, zucchini is very low in calories but high in fiber which can help aid with weight loss.

Ingredients:

2 zucchinis- spiralized

8 large shrimp- peeled and deveined

1 cup cherry tomatoes- sliced

2 cloves garlic- minced

2 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 lemon- juiced & zested

2 tbsp. capers

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 tbsp. chopped basil

salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Add butter and olive oil to a large pan over medium high heat.

2) When butter is melted and the pan is hot, add the garlic.

3) Cook 1-2 minutes or until fragrant

4) Add shrimp to the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes then flip to the other side.

5) Sprinkle the other side with salt and pepper and cook another minute.

6) Remove shrimp from pan and add the tomatoes.

7) Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until warm. 

8) Add the zucchini and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

9) Remove from heat.

10) Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and capers to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add salt/pepper if desired.

11) Add shrimp back to the pan and pour caper/lemon mixture over the zoodles and shrimp. Toss evenly.

12) Plate the dish and sprinkle each plate with parm and basil. 

ENJOY!!

*This makes 2-3 servings

Asian Grilled Turkey Burgers

I am so excited about this turkey burger recipe! It combines all of my favorite ingredients- ginger, garlic, cilantro, and soy sauce into one delicious patty. I love dinners in the summer that don't require heating up your house with the oven. If you don't want to use your grill, you can easily cook these in a skillet or grill pan on the stove over medium-high heat for 5 or so minutes a side.

We had these burgers in lettuce wraps topped with spicy mayo, extra cilantro, chives, sliced tomato, and avocado and they were superb. They didn't quite stay in the lettuce wrap so it was a bit messy, but nonetheless still delish. If you prefer to use a bun, they would be equally as yummy!

Ginger is the superfood I'd like to tell you about in this recipe. Ginger is known to reduce inflammation in the body which is especially useful for treating headaches and arthritis. Ginger is said to be highly effective in preventing or treating motion sickness and nausea. The main component in ginger is Gingerol which may inhibit the growth of colorectal and ovarian cancer cells.

Ingredients for burgers:

1-1.25 pounds 93% lean ground turkey

1 tbsp. light mayo

1 tbsp. grated ginger

2 garlic cloves- grated

1 tsp. sriracha or sambal oelek hot sauce

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 tbsp. chopped chives

1.5 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. sesame oil

Ingredients for spicy mayo

1/4 cup light mayo

1 tbsp. sriracha or sambal oelek

Optional ingredients:

Diced Avocado

Cilantro

Sliced Tomato

Chopped Chives

Butter lettuce or Romaine (for lettuce wraps)

Buns (if you're having it on a bun)

Directions:

1) Combine all burger ingredients and form into 6 patties.

2) Cook on the grill for about 5 minutes a side or until patties are cooked through.

3) While patties are cooking, prepare your spicy mayo and any toppings you might be having.

4) Build your burger anyway you like and enjoy!

Fish Tacos with Mango Slaw and Avocado Cilantro Yogurt

I'm really sorry, but I have to start this blog with tooting my own horn! This seriously might be one of the most delicious things I have ever made. It combines all of my favorite ingredients into one flavorful and simple meal that's absolutely perfect for a summer night.

This is the season to use lots of brightly colored fruits and vegetables in your cooking. The red cabbage combined with the bright yellow mango and the green avocado yogurt is just so appetizing to look at. Make this for a dinner party or a night when you have your friends over and I guarantee they will be impressed and delighted. 

Not only is this meal beautiful and scrumptious, it is also SO easy. You can even prepare the slaw and avocado yogurt ahead of time to make your life even easier!

I used Haddock in this recipe because that's what I got from my CSA, but you can use any mild flaky white fish.  This recipe contains a lot of cilantro which I realize is something not everybody loves as much as I do. If you're not a cilantro fan- do not fret... simply just omit it and use a different herb such as parsley. 

The superfood I would like to tell you about is cabbage. Cabbage is packed with antioxidants which are said to promote brain health and help prevent against many diseases such as cancer. Cabbage contains Vitamin K which can help prevent Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia. Lastly, cabbage is loaded with fiber which helps with digestion and can even aid in weight loss.

Ingredients:

1 pound white flaky fish such as haddock or cod

1/2 avocado- diced

cilantro for topping

6-10 corn tortillas 

Ingredients for taco seasoning:

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Ingredients for Mango Slaw

1 10. oz bag red cabbage

1 mango (ripe but not overly ripe)- diced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 lime zested and juiced

1 tbsp. olive oil

salt/pepper to taste

Ingredients for Avocado Yogurt:

1/2 avocado- diced

1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

1 lime- juiced

3/4 cup cilantro- chopped

salt/pepper- to taste

Directions:

1) Combine all slaw ingredients into a big bowl. Add salt/pepper to taste and let slaw marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour. 

2) Make avocado yogurt by adding all ingredients into a food processor or blender and combining until smooth. Add salt/pepper to taste. 

3) Make your taco seasoning and sprinkle it all over both sides of the fish- pressing with your fingers.

4) Heat a pan with some olive oil over medium high heat.

5) Add the fish and cook for about 3 minutes. When the fish is cooked on one side, flip it over and begin to break it apart into small pieces. Continue to cook until fish is completely cooked through.

6) Microwave corn tortillas for 15-25 seconds or until slightly warm.

7) To assemble your taco: Add fish to corn tortilla, top with slaw, avocado yogurt and sprinkle with extra cilantro and a couple pieces of the diced avocado.

*This recipe makes 3-4 servings depending on your hunger level!

Easy Steamed Haddock with Sautéed Escarole and Kale

It's finally summer time and I am happy for so many reasons: It's beautiful outside, the days are longer, there's so much to do on the weekends, AND my farm share started! Along with the plethora of fresh produce I receive all week, I also get wild caught New England fish. This week the fish was Haddock which is a basic white flaky fish, similar to cod.

I love cooking fish, but my typical go-to way of cooking it is to bake it in the oven. I don't know about you, but when it's hot outside, the last thing I want to do is heat up my entire house from having the oven on a high temperature. I was telling my mom about this and she suggested I try steaming it on top of the fresh veggies I got, and WOW did it come out delicious. 

I'm really excited about this new way of cooking fish and I think you are going to love it. It's extremely forgiving too, so there's not a lot of room for error. The greens I received from my farm share this week were escarole and kale, so that's what I used. I think this is an awesome combination, but feel free to use any dark greens you like!

Kale is the superfood I want to tell you about this week because it is truly one of the healthiest foods in the world. Kale is packed with antioxidants which are said to help prevent many forms of cancer. It contains Vitamin K which is said to help prevent against chronic inflammation and many illnesses such as heart disease and osteoporosis. Lastly, kale can also help you lose weight! It's very low in calories but it's so densely packed with fiber that it makes you feel full and satisfied and aids in digestion.

Ingredients:

3/4 pound of haddock or any other mild white fish

1.5 pounds dark leafy greens (I used half escarole and half kale)

1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes

2 cloves minced garlic

1/8 cup grated Parmesan

1/8 cup chopped basil

1 tbsp. olive oil

salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Heat 1/2 tbsp. olive oil on medium- high heat in a large skillet.

2) Add garlic and saute for 1 minute or until fragrant.

3) Add greens and cook until wilted.

4) While greens wilt, brush fish with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5) Turn heat to low and place fish on top of the greens.

6) Cover the pan and steam fish for 5 minutes.

7) Lift the lid and add the cherry tomatoes, basil, and Parmesan

8) Immediately remove from the heat and serve.

*Makes 2 servings

Superfood Cobb Salad

I love salads with lots of "stuff" in them. In the warm months, I like to make salads for dinner as a light and refreshing meal that doesn't involve the oven. I've always loved Cobb salads because they're usually packed with so much stuff including blue cheese which is my favoriteeeee. 

Cobb salads are typically served with ranch dressing which is usually loaded with fat and weird preservatives. I decided to make my own ranch dressing by using mostly Greek yogurt instead of pure mayo. Even though my version doesn't taste like the typical ranch, it still tastes pretty darn good. 

This salad is bursting with superfoods- eggs, avocado, cucumber- YOU NAME IT. If you want the superfood facts of these just click on any of the above and it will take you to past recipes. 

Ingredients for salad:

8 cups spring mix

1/2 English cucumber- sliced

1/4 cup blue cheese- crumbled

1 pint cherry tomatoes- sliced

4 eggs- hard-boiled, peeled and sliced

1 avocado- diced

1/2 cup black olives- sliced

Ingredients for dressing:

3/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

2 tbsp. low-fat mayo

1/2 cup dill-chopped

2 cloves garlic- minced

1 tsp. hot sauce

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. olive oil

salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl.

2) Add all dressing ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

3) Add desired amount of dressing to salad and toss to combine.

*This recipe makes 3-4 servings.

Supergirl Smoothie Bowl

I have been obsessed with making green smoothies ever since it's gotten warm out. I love how you can completely mask the "green part" by adding delicious fruit and other ingredients. I also love how light and energized I feel after having one.

I came across the concept of smoothie bowls on Pinterest a couple of months ago. You basically just make a smoothie, pour it in a bowl and top it with fruit, granola or whatever else you want.

I've noticed that even though I feel energized and light after my morning smoothie, I find myself hungry a couple hours later. I feel like it's a mental thing and the fact that I'm drinking it versus chewing and eating it makes me feel less full. Now, when I make the smoothie into a bowl I have found that I am completely satisfied until lunch. I think it's the combination of eating with a spoon and having to chew the toppings.

You might be surprised to find that I used cottage cheese in this smoothie. I typically use nonfat Greek yogurt to give my smoothies great texture and extra protein. I recently read however, that cottage cheese can improve the consistency of the smoothie even more so than yogurt, and it has just as much protein. I was hesitant at first because the texture of cottage cheese grosses me out, although once you blend it you don't even know it's there! 

Cottage cheese is packed with protein which helps the body maintain healthy tissue. It is a great source of calcium which is essential to having strong bones. Lastly, it contains the Vitamin B12 which helps support brain function.

Ingredients for smoothie:

1 cup loosely packed spinach leaves

1 frozen banana 

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

5-6 ice cubes

Toppings Ingredients:

handful of fresh strawberries

1 tsp. chia seeds

1/4 cup granola

Directions:

1) Blend smoothie ingredients until smooth.

2) Pour smoothie into a bowl and top with strawberries, chia seeds and granola.